Audrey Magazine

North Star

Anna Park

9-2006

Grace Park exudes an all-American girl aura — she’s makeup-free, dressed California casual, with a warm, easygoing smile. Yet few people realize that the actor on the highly acclaimed, highly rated SCI FI Channel series Battlestar Galactica, now in its third season, is actually Canadian. And while some people may wonder why that matters (Canadian, American, isn’t it all the same?), what we don’t realize is that sometimes what we take for granted as Asian Americans is not necessarily the case for Asian Canadians.

Grace in and of herself is an interesting cultural study — as an actor, she technically works in “Hollywood,” although most episodes of Galactica are shot in Canada. She’s exposed to all that Hollywood has to offer — the red carpets, the press junkets, the appearances — yet she gets to go home to the practically paparazzi-free zone of Vancouver, B.C. And while she is proud to be Asian, it seems she didn’t realize how much would be put on her by Asian Americans because she is Asian. Fans of the show may very well see echoes of this through the character she plays — a Cylon who grapples with the expectations of her own kind and the humans she has come to empathize with.

It’s a tough mantle to carry, especially because Grace seems very eager to please. On a daylong photo shoot, Grace is a good sport about everything, down with whatever the editors want her to wear, however they want her to pose. No matter how long she’s been posing for photos in the stuffy studio, she occasionally pauses and furrows her brow in concentration. You can almost see her entering into another place in her consciousness, trying to “get it” — how the angle of her left leg would affect the lines of a dress and simultaneously translate appropriately through the photographer’s lens.

In this issue, Grace helps to capture the essence of the fall collections, which features a more serious look with darker hues and very distinct, sculptural shapes. It’s a mood that flies in the face of this otherwise easygoing actress, who is prone to making a funny face or striking a goofy pose in between shots. But as a seasoned professional, she’s doing a bang up job, and six hours later, back in her summer-perfect outfit of tank top, long white skirt and sandals, this California-girl-by-way-of-Canada is out the door with a smile and a wave.

Catch the third season of Battlestar Galactica in October on the SCI FI channel. Check local listings.